Proposed is a two-year study to investigate the menatl health impact of residential segregation of the aged. Earlier research indicates that the elderly concentrate in certain parts of metropolitan areas. An interview survey comparing older residents of age-integrated and age-segregated neighborhoods is proposed to study the consequences of this. A pretest for interviewer training and construction of the interview schedule will be conducted in the first year of the project, with the main study occuring during the second year. It is expected that residential age segregation results in more viable localized social networks for the elderly. This would result in heightened social integration, socialization by age peers concerning the meaning of old age, increased knowledge of and referral to community services, bolstered coping ability, and more favorable psychological well-being. The impact of residential age structure is expected to vary by health, socio-economic status, and other personal characteristics. The proposed project will greatly enhance knowledge concerning the nature and consequences of age-segregated residential settings, and the impact of housing and neighborhood factors on the mental health and well-being of the aged. Policy implications include bolstering of localized supportive networks as alternatives to formal services and institutionalization, and policy emphases on older people who lack informal community support within their neighborhoods.